What are people around the world saying about Tecla?

"My son, 16 yrs old with cerebral palsy, RANG ME for the first time ever, using an iPhone and Tecla Shield. Does anyone have tissues?"

Susan Dickinson

United States

"Love, Love, Love the Tecla Shield! It is incredibly exciting for me to be able to read for the first time in thirteen years." Read more...

Amandeep Singh Heer

United Kingdom

"The Tecla Shield has given me the freedom to communicate with friends and family in ways not possible before." Read more...

Marc Duchi

Belgium

"The Tecla Shield DOS has indeed changed my life . I was looking for some time for a tool to control an ipad with a single button via scanning." Read more...

Tecla for Wheelchair Users

Control of your Tecla-enabled device can be made available as an additional driving mode or AUX output using a wheelchair control box 1, so you can switch at any time between driving your chair or controlling your device. The Tecla Shield DOS™ is compatible with control boxes from Invacare, PG (R-net), Permobil and many other brands!

Tecla for Switch Users

Even if you can only use one switch, you can still have access to ALL the features available to switch users in your Tecla-enabled device. The Tecla Shield DOS™ comes with modes optimized for users of one, two, and up to six switches!

Freedom of choice.

Your switch interface should not determine which device you are going to use. The Tecla Shield DOS™ is the only switch interface in the market that works with both iOS® (iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch®) and Android™ mobile devices.

Better yet, with the Tecla Shield DOS™ you can also control your Mac (OS X) or PC (Windows or Linux) using assistive software 3. You can even get full control of the mouse pointer 4!

Access more than just a few apps.

The Tecla Shield DOS™ allows you to explore the Home screen and launch applications just like anybody else. You can also navigate and interact with the built-in apps on iOS® or Android™ devices to take photographs, listen to music, browse the internet, make phone calls and watch videos. With the Tecla Shield DOS™, you will also be able to access the on-screen keyboard to compose e-mails and messages, or enter text whenever you need to. On iOS®, DOS takes advantage of VoiceOver or Switch Control, Apple's in-built access technology, to enable control of the iPhone®, iPad® & iPod Touch®. On Android™, DOS works in combination with the Tecla App for Android™ (available for free from the Google Play store).

System-wide voice assistance.

Whether you want to ask Siri to email your friend, or the Google voice assistant to skip to the next song, the Tecla Shield DOS™ will make it happen for you regardless of the number of switches you use! Single switch access to Siri? No problem! The Tecla Shield DOS™ also enables switch access to the voice dictation key in the iOS® or Android™ built-in keyboards. This allows you to use your voice to enter text into any text box. No more typing your e-mails or text messages, just speak your mind and let your device do the typing for you!

FAQ

Can I use the Tecla Shield to access Siri completely hands-free?

Yes! The Tecla Shield DOS enables totally hands-free and independent access to Siri on your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch using as little as a single switch. Users of the newer Switch Control feature available from iOS7 can access Siri from the Switch Control menu, while all others can access Siri by pressing and holding on the switch they use to select items.

Users of the older Tecla Shield UNO cannot use their switches or other alternative input methods to access Siri, however, we have had reports from users who are able to successfully launch Siri with the Tecla Shield UNO using SiriBoard (http://www.ijailbreak.com/cydia/siriboard-cydia-tweak/) on jailbroken iOS devices. Though we do not encourage jailbraking, we do believe users have the right to know the solution exists.

How does the Tecla Shield connect to my powered wheelchair?

Tecla makes it possible to control a smartphone or tablet, completely hands-free, directly from your wheelchair. Tecla connects to powered wheelchairs that have an Environmental Control Unit (ECU) box. The ECU box is a device that allows external devices to be controlled directly from the wheelchair’s driving controls.

ECU boxes are available from wheelchair vendors (they are brand specific) and, in our experience, it is much cheaper to buy them with the wheelchair, than later on as an add-on.

Once the ECU box is installed on the wheelchair, a wheelchair technician just needs to activate it. It usually appears as a driving mode (drive 4 or 5) or as a separate mode (ECU or AUX). Once the ECU box is activated, Tecla can be connected to it using a standard M/F D-Sub 9 (also known as DB9) serial cable. This cable is available from most computer stores and from the Komodo Store.

Is there a Tecla App for iOS?

No. There is no need to install an App to access an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch completely hands-free. The Tecla Shield DOS is compatible with VoiceOver and Switch Control, the accessibility features already built-into your iOS device.

Do you accept Purchase Orders (PO)?

Komodo OpenLab accepts Purchase Orders (PO) from all buyers. In order to submit a Purchase Order, please follow the steps below:

Once your account has been created, you can browse and select the items you want to buy

After selecting all the products you want to purchase, proceed to checkout.

Select "PO" as the payment method

After completing your order, please submit an electronic copy of the "PO", as issued by your organization, to sales@komodoopenlab.com

After we receive the electronic copy of your PO, we will reply with a confirmation that includes:

A message indicating that your order has been received,

The estimated shipping date, and

Payment instructions

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at sales@komodoopenlab.com﻿

1. Must be equipped with an environmental control unit (ECU) module that allows the user to switch between controlling the wheelchair or their Tecla-enabled device2. Siri and Voice Dictation are available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation.) Internet access is required. These features may not be available in all languages or in all areas.3. Additional switch access software for PC or Mac may be required.4. Only available to users with access to 5 or more switches (e.g., 4-way joystick or wheelchair driving control and a 'select' switch) via the MouseKeys built-in feature in Mac or PC.

Tamara Hills

Australia

"My son, 16 yrs old with cerebral palsy, RANG ME for the first time ever, using an iPhone and Tecla Shield. Does anyone have tissues?"

Susan Dickinson

United States

Love, Love, Love the Tecla Shield! It is incredibly exciting for me to be able to read for the first time in thirteen years. I am downloading every book I can find to the iPad! Not only am I reading, but this set-up also has allowed me a way of communicating through Skype as a backup to my telephone. Another bonus – I get to listen to music on the iPad. Thanks so much!

Amandeep Singh Heer

United Kingdom

The Tecla Shield has given me the freedom to communicate with friends and family in ways not possible before without assistance. Now I can be more independent and live life wth more freedom.

Marc Duchi

Belgium

The Tecla Shield DOS has indeed changed my life. I was looking for some time for a tool to control an ipad with a single button via scanning...

... Thanks to the Tecla Shield DOS I can read newspapers, magazines and books on the iPad. If I do not have a particular book or magazine, I can easily buy it from the iTunes Store. Before the Tecla Shield, this was not possible for me...

... Also playing games (mostly board games, like Othello and Checkers) is possible using “Point Mode”. Also to browse the Internet, I now usually use "Point Mode". And by clicking on my button twice, I can easily scroll and swipe. In short: With the Tecla Shield DOS, a new world opened up for me.